Optimizing the performance of communications networks, particularly cellular networks, is complicated by the complex interaction of the transmission and receiving capabilities of physical equipment with static, semi-static and dynamic changes of spatial radio propagation conditions that result from real-world effects of buildings, moving objects, and increased or decreased demand over time. Real-world influences include slow and fast changing shading and reflecting objects in the radio path, for example, buildings, trees, and moving objects (e.g. cars, trucks); as well as changes in broadcast density based on user demand and flow, for example, the movement of users into and out of residential and commercial districts depending on time of day. These external factors influence multi-path radio conditions and can result in vague radio path conditions between two points, including, for example, fading.
Although some PHY-layer (network and communications hardware) and MAC-layer (media access control) technologies are able to mitigate some of the worst radio path properties, e.g., reducing high frequency selectivity of radio paths by evaluating pilot symbols and scheduling around short-term and shortest-term propagation conditions (for example, fast changing (dynamic) effects such as, e.g., fast-fading, slow-fading due to environment changes, and highly dynamic properties, such as moving cars) at the MAC layer, optimization of network performance can be enhanced if there is increased information about the static and semi-static spatial radio propagation conditions in a given area and their effect on network efficiency.
The expansion of the smartphone and tablet markets has led to an explosion of Location-Based Services (LBS), including services to identify the location of a person or object, sometimes in relation to a specific location (e.g. an ATM machine or another user), based on the location of a transmitting device located on or near the person or object. Positioning systems designed to support such services have developed at a rapid pace, with developments focused on increasing the reliability of the location data collected from and reported to a device. These developments have benefitted data consumers of user location information by improving location data such as the accuracy of map positions reported to a user of location based services. Although these services are highly useful for user-level applications related to locating specific devices in near real-time, they lack capabilities useful for smart network management functions.
For example, network operators and others may find it desirable to track spatially resolved actual radio propagation conditions in deployed networks.